As part of an assessment by an outside agency of the Bellevue Police Department, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13, at City Hall, 450 110th Ave. NE. (The specific room number will be posted in the lobby).

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will come to Bellevue to examine all aspects of the police department's policy and procedures, management, operations and support services.

Verification by the team that the department meets the Commission's state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to retain accreditation -- a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.

If for some reason an individual is unable to attend the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call 425-452-2566, on Dec. 12, between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m.

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency's ability to comply with CALEA's standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Bellevue Police Department. The local contact person is public information officer Carla Iafrate, 425-452-4129.